WHOA!!!! I can’t belee dis… haha

instagram:

When Mike and I started Instagram nearly two years ago, we set out to change and improve the way the world communicates and shares. We’ve had an amazing time watching Instagram grow into a vibrant community of people from all around the globe. Today, we couldn’t be happier to announce that Instagram has agreed to be acquired by Facebook.  

 

Every day that passes, we see more experiences being shared through Instagram in ways that we never thought possible. It’s because of our dedicated and talented team that we’ve gotten this far, and with the support and cross-pollination of ideas and talent at a place like Facebook, we hope to create an even more exciting future for Instagram and Facebook alike.

 

It’s important to be clear that Instagram is not going away. We’l be working with Facebook to evolve Instagram and build the network. We’ll continue to add new features to the product and find new ways to create a better mobile photos experience.

 

The Instagram app will still be the same one you know and love. You’ll still have all the same people you follow and that follow you.You’ll still be able to share to other social networks. And you’ll still have all the other features that make the app so fun and unique.  

We’re psyched to be joining Facebook and are excited to build a better Instagram for everyone.

 

Best,

Kevin

 

CEO, Instagram

younowblog:

The long anticipated YouNow iPhone App is available for FREE in the iTunes App Store.

This means you can now broadcast LIVE from your iPhone, unlocking countless possibilities for you unique and interesting broadcasts! 

This first version of the app only works for Wi-Fi, and allows you to broadcast. We are working on a version that supports 3G broadcasts as well as viewing and chatting.

Let’s take you on a quick walk-through of the app:

1. Once you open the app, you are immediately prompted to select a channel to broadcast in. The app shows you how many viewers are in each channel and how many are in the queue. Click “GO” to enter a channel.
2. Once you have logged in via Facebook, you will be entered immediately into the queue, where you can see who is waiting ahead of you and directly behind you. The app shows very clearly your queue position, also giving you the opportunity to back out of the queue by clicking the X on your thumbnail. 
3. Once you are about to go live, we give you a 10 second countdown, to give you ample time to prepare to be live.
   
4. You are now live… OMG! If you wish to switch from front-facing camera to rear-facing, you have the option. You can also end your broadcast by clicking the red square.
5. You’ve completed your first broadcast from your iPhone! Look at you. Hot stuff.  

NOTE:

• This app is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (4th generation), iPad 2 Wi-Fi, iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G, iPad (3rd generation) and iPad Wi-Fi + 4G.Requires iOS 4.2 or later.

Have comments or suggestions about the app? Add them in the comments below.

When I was in high school I used to write 10 goals on a piece of paper at the beginning of each semester.

I would then put them on a prominent spot of the wall in my room, so that I would be reminded daily of what I wished to achieve. I limited them to 10 goals, because it would help me to focus on the things that were most important, and would also increase the likelihood that I would achieve them. I continued this practice into my first and second years of college, but somewhere along the way I fell out of practice.

I thought I would bring this back, in a way that is open and concrete. This transparency will help to keep me accountable, encourage me to keep pushing, and hopefully will inspire some of you to make your own goals and KICK BUTT in 2012.

Here are mine:

1. Take care of my body.
I used to be a real athlete… football, basketball, track & field and martial arts. Now I’m just a has-been. I want my body back.

2. Write 2 blog posts a month
I recently read “12 Blogging Mistakes to Avoid” by Jeff Bullas (@jeffbullas).  I’ve learned  by working on this blog, and writing for YouNow’s blog, that in order to establish myself as a writer, I must write! (Sounds simple, right?)

Consistency is key. Maybe one day I’ll be like Fred Wilson (@fredwilson) of Union Square Ventures and post every day. Until then, 2 / month is a good goal.

3. Teach myself to build a basic mobile app by the end of 2012.
This will be a hard goal to achieve, but I am determined to do it. If you’d like to help me succeed with this goal, please reach out to me!

4. Monthly check-ins with my younger sister and brothers.
I am the oldest of four. When I went away to college, I wasn’t as active in the lives of my siblings as I used to be. It’s time to change that. I want to help them to achieve the goals they have for themselves, while also validating them, their individuality, and their self-worth. Their success is my success. I love them.

5. Secure a professional mentor, and become a mentor to someone else.
I believe that giving back is important… it’s something I learned through my participation in the Ron Brown Scholar Program, (@ronbrownscholar) a scholarship organization that financially supports talented & service-oriented African-American high school students in attending college.  Everyone should have a mentor, and I hope to be one to a young hustler in need.

6. Get some new threads
I often find myself wearing a hoodie that I bought my freshman year of college… 4 YEARS AGO. Womp.

While I believe in buying what I like to call timeless “anchor pieces,” (unique and versatile items that will last me for some time), I’ve decided I need some fresh gear. Time to hit the thrift stores.

7. Finish “Learn Ruby The Hard Way” by January 31st, 2012
This goal is a corollary from my blog post “Why I am Learning to Program.” In the post I resolved that I would learn how to code as a means of developing the discipline I need to achieve many of my personal and professional goals.

If I want to complete Goal #3 by 2012, I will need to accelerate my learning… so January 31st it is. LET’S GO!

8. Love my woman in the way she deserves.
Camille, my girlfriend, has been a tremendous blessing from God in my life. She is a humble and supportive hard-worker of whom I’m very proud! She has also taught me many things… including how to be gentle, loving, kind, and especially patient. I want to be all of these things to her and more. Love you baby!

9. Strengthen my relationship with God.
God has undeniably blessed me beyond measure, especially by giving me Camille. While my relationship with Him has grown tremendously, I still need to take more time for God.

10. Return to art.
I am an artist and musician. (see my art here.) Recently most of my creative juices have been going into my work at YouNow, and taking pictures via Instagram. At the end of the day, however, I still feel creatively deprived and unfulfilled. I am a creator, and I need to create.

What are your goals for 2012?
Let me know by commenting below, telling me in person, or writing a blog post about them!

The other day I stumbled upon a post by Naveen Selvadurai of foursquare entitled “being in the right place at the right time.” It inspired me to write, as it helped me to connect my professional interests and my musings on the relationship between location and “destiny.”

Here’s a quote from Naveen’s post:

“No matter whether you believe in fate or free will, they both affect many paths in life: from the college we go to, to where we live, to the jobs we take and to the people we run into and with whom we become friends and lovers. but i think the most powerful of these factors is location – where we are now and where we choose to live. i think that location, more than anything else, is a powerful determinant of which path one will take in life.”
- Naveen Selvadurai

For some time now I have been reflecting on the significance of location in our everyday lives. On the micro level, I am enamored with how mobile location-based services are revolutionizing the way people interact.

I love the thrill of discovering, navigating, and sharing my adventures with the world. Mobile apps like Instagram, foursquare, Path, and Sonar delight me, as they connect me with others around the unexpectedly remarkable moments I experience from day to day. While Sonar empowers us to meet the people around us who are most socially relevant, Path and Instagram allow us to capture and coyly share intimate glimpses of our lives.

Because the confluence of “occurrence” and “location” creates a unique event that will never happen again in the same manner,  it seems of utmost importance to capture special moments when and where they happen.

–
My Dilemma
–

On a greater scale, location plays a big factor in who we are and who we will become. At times I wonder, “Do I need to stay in NYC long-term to pursue my startup dreams in the mobile / location space? Would I be just as well poised to do so if I moved to Austin, TX, where my girlfriend wants to move, and where I’d be closer to my family?”

Now, there’s something very special about NYC… everyone knows that. The feverish bustle, the density of consumers and businesses and the 24/7 grind that goes on here seems to be the perfect agar for my petri dish.

But my girlfriend is quickly losing interest in the fast-paced life, and both my immediate family and her family live in Texas - quite a ways from New York City.  Austin, as an alternative, is considered by many to be a tech mecca of the South, with events like SXSW, and the offices of giants such as Google, Facebook and Apple. However, despite these boons I’ve heard from various sources that Austin may be a challenging place to start certain types of companies.

Forecast is a fun and simple way for friends to share where they are going.

Rene J. Pinnell, CEO of Forecast, an Austin-based mobile startup that allows friends to share where they’re going, once told me that while Austin is very beautiful and vibrant, it may not be the best place for early-stage social media tech startups. Its cultural differences and the type of investors it attracts are a few reasons why many Austin-based startups find themselves relocating to San Francisco or NYC.

Additionally, Austin does not have the same urban density / media profile that New York does – a factor that potentially made Gowalla less competitive with foursquare. Such a spatial difference would certainly affect users’ behavioral patterns – but to a detrimental extent?

In the end, I try to trust God to help me make these types of decisions, but I can’t help but wonder the role that my location will play in my professional future. I do know, however, that while I am here, no matter how long or short this may be, I plan to take advantage of New York with the fierce urgency of now.

Can’t stop the #hustle.

I love the thrill of discovering, navigating, and sharing my adventures with the world.

Mobile apps like Instagram, foursquare, Path, and Sonar delight me, as they connect me with others around the unexpectedly remarkable moments I experience from day to day. While Sonar empowers us to meet the people around us who are most socially relevant, Path and Instagram allow us to capture and coyly share intimate glimpses of our lives.

Because the confluence of “occurrence” and “location” creates a unique event that will never happen again in the same manner,  it seems of utmost importance to capture special moments when and where they happen…

To read more of my blog post, click here.